GMHC’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Kishani Moreno to serve as interim CEO
Board of Directors, Leaders applaud accomplishments under Louie’s tenure
May 19, 2021 – GMHC CEO Kelsey Louie will step down as the organization’s chief executive officer on June 25 for a new role as CEO for The Door, a New York City-based nonprofit that provides comprehensive youth development services. Kishani Moreno, who currently serves as GMHC’s chief operating officer (COO) will serve as interim CEO while the board embarks on a strategic planning process with staff and clients to determine the approach to finding GMHC’s next leader.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of the GMHC family over the last seven years,” said Louie. “I am deeply grateful to our dedicated and passionate staff, as well as our extraordinary clients, for the work that we have done together to end the AIDS epidemic and move us closer to a more just and equitable world.”
Louie has been CEO of GMHC since 2014. Under his leadership, he developed innovative solutions that have strengthened programs, improved the quality of services, reinvested in GMHC’s signature Buddy Program to provide peer-to-peer psychosocial support and expanded mental health and substance use counseling services. He oversaw GMHC’s merger with ACRIA, an internationally-recognized research program focused on older adults with HIV/AIDS. He streamlined and co-located pharmacy services, supportive housing, comprehensive STI testing, and the Terry Brenneis and David Boger Hub for Long-Term Survivors. Additionally, Kelsey’s steady hand helped guide GMHC through the challenges of the COVID pandemic and reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to anti-oppression movements such as Black Lives Matter and the “Distance Yourself from Hate” initiative.
“We are deeply grateful for Kelsey’s leadership over the last seven years and Kishani’s willingness to serve as interim CEO. Kelsey’s leadership has left us strong and resilient, and his legacy will endure into the future,” said GMHC Board of Directors Chair Jon Mallow. “I am confident that the senior management team will ensure that the agency continues to deliver the highest quality services to our clients. I have a great relationship with Kishani and am excited to work closely with her. The board is committed to engaging deeply with both staff and clients to chart the most effective and stable path forward.”
GMHC’s Consumer Advisory Board, which represents the agency’s 10,000 consumers, issued the following statement about Kelsey’s tenure as CEO. “Kelsey is an outstanding leader, whose creative and innovative strategies and talents, successfully led GMHC through some of its most challenging periods. He positively impacted and empowered thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS, ensuring their voice and input in all major decisions. Kelsey also built a strong and productive relationship with the African American and Latino communities, recognizing and working to address concerns and issues disproportionately affecting them.”
Under Louie’s tenure, GMHC partnered with both the State of New York and New York City in implementing plans to end the AIDS epidemic and fighting for the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.
“Under Kelsey’s leadership, GMHC has been a key partner in providing access to HIV prevention services, contributing to the historic lows in HIV transmission and providing greater access to care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS,” said Johanne Morne, director of the New York State AIDS Institute. “I look forward to continued partnership and collaboration with GMHC to sustain this momentum.”
Moreno – who was personally recruited by Louie – is a member of GMHC’s senior management team. As COO, she oversees building operations, information systems, analytics and evaluation, as well as the supportive housing, representative payee, mental health and substance use counseling programs. She has worked for more than 25 years with nonprofits serving vulnerable populations in New York City and Connecticut.
“It is an honor to serve as interim CEO and help ensure continuity of leadership,” said Moreno. “I look forward to working with the board and ensuring that our staff and clients have a voice in the search process as we transition to a new CEO.”
Louie will serve in an advisory role to GMHC for a period of time during the transition to a new CEO.
